China Probes Four Online Hotel Booking Platforms, Targets Exclusive Deals and Lowest-Price Clauses
China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and Ministry of Culture and Tourism held an administrative guidance meeting on September 15 with major platforms including Meituan, Ctrip, JD.com, Douyin, Tongcheng, and Fliggy. The Beijing Municipal Administration for Market Regulation has launched investigations into four unnamed platforms. Regulators warned against exclusive partnerships and "lowest price across all platforms" clauses, citing potential violations of anti-monopoly and anti-unfair competition laws. Meituan and Ctrip issued statements pledging compliance. The China Hotel Association issued an initiative supporting the regulatory action and calling for platform rule transparency.
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China Probes Four Online Hotel Booking Platforms; Hospitality Association Backs Action
According to a Cailian Press report on September 19, citing the China Hotel Association's official WeChat account, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) recently held an administrative guidance meeting with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism regarding the online hotel and travel booking platform service industry. Following SAMR's work arrangements, the Beijing Municipal Administration for Market Regulation has placed four online hotel and travel booking platforms under investigation. The China Hotel Association stated it actively supports these efforts and is promoting the implementation of relevant measures. The Association issued four initiatives to the industry: 1) actively support regulatory enforcement against platforms suspected of unfair competition; 2) promote transparency in platform rules and algorithms, including search ranking and commission rates; 3) abandon improper competition and pursue value co-creation to ensure reasonable profit margins for enterprises; and 4) strengthen industry self-discipline and build long-term mechanisms through surveys, standards development, and training.
Read sourceChina Probes Four Online Hotel Booking Platforms; Industry Association Backs Action
On September 19, the China Hotel Association issued an initiative to regulate platform competition and build a healthy ecosystem for the accommodation and catering industry. This follows an administrative guidance meeting held by the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism for the online hotel and travel booking platform service industry. Acting on SAMR's work arrangements, the Beijing Municipal Administration for Market Regulation has launched investigations into four unnamed online hotel and travel booking platforms. The China Hotel Association stated it actively supports these efforts and is promoting the implementation of relevant measures. The association criticized some platforms for leveraging traffic and algorithmic advantages to inflate hidden costs through high commissions, mandatory bundling, opaque data practices, and low-price customer acquisition tactics, which it says undermine competitive order, harm business interests, and constrain service quality upgrades. It also cited practices like 'multiple stores at one address' and 'ghost kitchens' as compromising food safety and consumer experience. The initiative calls for public disclosure of platform rules and algorithmic transparency, including transaction rules, search ranking, traffic allocation, commission rates, and promotional activities, to safeguard operators' rights to information and fair trade.
Read sourceChina Probes Four Online Hotel Booking Platforms; Industry Association Backs Regulatory Action
On September 19, the China Hotel Association released an initiative calling for fair competition in the accommodation and catering industry, following an administrative guidance meeting held by the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The Beijing Municipal Administration for Market Regulation has launched investigations into four major online hotel and travel booking platforms as part of SAMR's work arrangements. The China Hotel Association actively supports these efforts. The association stated that some platforms use traffic and algorithmic advantages to inflate hidden costs through high commissions, mandatory bundling, opaque data practices, and low-price customer acquisition tactics, undermining competitive order and harming business interests. It also noted that phenomena such as 'multiple stores at one address' and 'ghost kitchens' negatively impact food safety and consumer experience. The initiative calls for greater transparency in platform rules and algorithms, including disclosure of search ranking mechanisms, traffic allocation, commission rates, and promotional activities to safeguard operators' rights.
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China Regulators Launch Compliance Initiative for Online Hotel Booking Platforms
On September 15, China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism held an online meeting with hotel booking platforms including JD.com and Ctrip, launching a compliance initiative targeting exclusive partnerships and 'lowest price across the web' practices. The meeting emphasized strict adherence to the Anti-Monopoly Law, Anti-Unfair Competition Law, and Electronic Commerce Law. Song Xiangqing, Vice President of the China Society of Business Economics, attributed the industry's 'involution' competition to platform network effects, fragmented hotel supply, and weak bargaining power of small hotels, creating a vicious cycle of grabbing room inventory, suppressing prices, and squeezing merchant profits. He stated the joint guidance signals normalized regulation of the platform economy, aiming to rectify exclusive partnerships and mandatory lowest-price clauses, safeguard hotel pricing rights, and shift competition toward service quality. Meituan and Ctrip issued announcements pledging compliance. Cai Wei, Dean of KPMG China Economic Research Institute, argued that combating involution requires filling legal gaps, changing price-only market orientation, and increasing support for R&D and innovation.
China regulators target exclusive deals and lowest-price clauses in online hotel booking
On September 15, China's State Administration for Market Regulation and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism jointly held a compliance guidance meeting for online hotel booking platforms, targeting exclusive cooperation agreements and mandatory 'lowest price across the entire network' clauses. The meeting called on platforms to strictly abide by anti-monopoly and anti-unfair competition laws. Experts quoted in the article, including Song Xiangqing of the China Business Economics Society, attribute the industry's 'involution' to platform network effects, fragmented hotel supply, and weak bargaining power of small and medium hotels. Song said the meeting signals a shift toward normalized regulation, aiming to curb predatory pricing and protect hotel operators' pricing autonomy. Meituan and Trip.com Group both issued statements pledging compliance. Cai Wei of KPMG China argued that anti-involution efforts require not only administrative measures but also fairer market order, improved legal frameworks, and stronger support for innovation. The article notes that short-term platform subsidies may shrink, but long-term service quality could improve.
China Regulators Warn Online Hotel Platforms Against 'Lowest Price' Clauses
China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism issued administrative guidance to the online hotel booking industry, warning against anti-competitive practices such as exclusive cooperation agreements (known as 'choose one from two') and 'lowest price across all platforms' clauses. The guidance, described as a flexible, non-punitive measure to clarify legal boundaries, follows a recent penalty against an unnamed platform in July. Experts cited in the article state that such practices may violate China's Anti-Monopoly Law by restricting competition and limiting hotel operators' autonomy, and the Anti-Unfair Competition Law by potentially forcing below-cost pricing. The article argues that while 'lowest price' clauses appear to benefit consumers, they can degrade service quality and harm the tourism market. The regulators aim to achieve the social effect of 'investigating one case, regulating one industry' by urging platforms to self-check their rules and return pricing power to hotels and choice to consumers.
Read sourceMeituan Vows to Comply with China's Online Hotel Booking Platform Regulations
On September 15, China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), together with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, held an administrative guidance meeting for the online hotel booking platform service industry. The meeting required major platform enterprises including Meituan, Douyin, JD.com, Ctrip, Tongcheng, and Fliggy to strictly fulfill their primary responsibilities for compliance, prevent and mitigate industry competition risks, and maintain a healthy and orderly tourism market environment. In response, Meituan stated that it firmly supports the initiative and will strictly abide by relevant laws, including the Anti-Monopoly Law, Anti-Unfair Competition Law, E-Commerce Law, and Tourism Law. Meituan will conduct thorough self-inspections, actively implement its responsibilities as a market entity, and resolutely eliminate issues such as exclusive partnerships and 'lowest prices across all platforms,' while guarding against 'involution' competition risks. Meituan expressed willingness to work alongside other platforms to participate fairly in market competition, foster a market order characterized by high quality and reasonable pricing, protect consumers' legitimate rights and interests, and promote multi-party win-win outcomes and the standardized, healthy development of the industry.
Read sourceCtrip Pledges Compliance After Chinese Regulators Hold Guidance Meeting for Hotel Booking Platforms
On September 15, 2026, China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), together with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, held an administrative guidance meeting for the online hotel booking platform industry. Following this meeting, Trip.com Group (Ctrip) issued a statement pledging to strictly implement administrative penalty decisions and comply with laws including the Anti-Monopoly Law, Anti-Unfair Competition Law, E-Commerce Law, and Tourism Law. The company stated it will conduct self-inspections, standardize platform partnership mechanisms, respect merchants' autonomous operation rights, and safeguard consumer interests. Ctrip also committed to establishing long-term compliance mechanisms, leading by example in compliant operations, and working with industry parties to maintain fair competition and high-quality market order. The company reaffirmed its focus on product and service innovation to contribute to the high-quality development of China's culture and tourism industry.
Read sourceCtrip Group Vows to Implement Compliance Requirements After SAMR Guidance Meeting
On September 15, 2026, Ctrip Group issued a statement following an administrative guidance meeting held by China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism for the online hotel booking platform industry. The meeting aimed to help enterprises understand regulatory requirements and improve compliance mechanisms. Ctrip stated it will strictly implement administrative penalty decisions and regulatory requirements, comply with laws including the Anti-Monopoly Law, Anti-Unfair Competition Law, E-Commerce Law, and Tourism Law. The company will conduct self-inspections, standardize platform partnership mechanisms, respect merchants' independent operation rights, and safeguard consumer rights. Ctrip also committed to establishing long-term compliance mechanisms and leading by example to maintain fair competition and promote win-win development within the platform ecosystem.
Read sourceChina Regulators Issue Guidance to Online Hotel Booking Platforms on Competition Compliance
On September 15, China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism held an administrative guidance meeting for the online hotel booking platform service industry. The meeting required major platform enterprises including Meituan, Douyin, JD.com, Ctrip, Tongcheng, and Fliggy to strictly fulfill their primary responsibilities for compliance. Regulators emphasized strict adherence to the Anti-Monopoly Law, Anti-Unfair Competition Law, E-Commerce Law, and Tourism Law. Platforms were urged to learn from past cases, conduct self-inspections, and proactively address 'involution' issues and competition risks such as exclusive partnerships and claims of 'lowest prices across the entire network.' The authorities called on enterprises to enhance compliance awareness, uphold bottom lines of compliant operations and safe development, improve long-term compliance mechanisms, and jointly foster a market order characterized by high quality at reasonable prices and healthy competition, ultimately protecting consumers' legitimate rights and interests and promoting win-win development within the platform ecosystem.
Read sourceChina Regulators Hold Administrative Guidance Meeting for Online Hotel Booking Platforms
The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), jointly with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, held an administrative guidance meeting for the online hotel booking platform service industry. The meeting urged platform enterprises to strictly fulfill their primary responsibilities for compliance, prevent and resolve competitive risks, and maintain a healthy tourism market environment. Officials noted that fair competition is the legal cornerstone of the market economy and compliant operations are vital for enterprise development. While acknowledging the industry's rapid growth and positive role in facilitating travel and tourism consumption, regulators warned that competitive risks cannot be ignored. The meeting required platforms to comply with the Anti-Monopoly Law, Anti-Unfair Competition Law, E-Commerce Law, and Tourism Law. Enterprises were instructed to learn from past cases, conduct self-examinations, and proactively address issues such as 'involution,' exclusive partnerships, and claims of 'lowest prices across the entire network.' Executives from Meituan, Douyin, JD.com, Ctrip, Tongcheng, and Fliggy attended, along with market regulation officials from Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang.
Read sourceChina's SAMR and Culture Ministry Hold Guidance Meeting for Online Hotel Booking Platforms
On September 15, China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), together with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, held an administrative guidance meeting for the online hotel booking platform service industry. The meeting required major platforms including Meituan, Douyin, JD.com, Ctrip, Tongcheng, and Fliggy to strictly fulfill their primary responsibilities for compliance, prevent and mitigate industry competition risks, and maintain a healthy and orderly tourism market environment. The report was sourced from CCTV News and published by Jin10 Data.